Method of manufacture of agglomerated fuel



Patented May 31, 1927.

FIQE.

LUCIEN LIAIS, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF AGGLOMERATED FUEL.

No Drawing. Application filed April 5, 1926, Serial No. 99,987,

My invention relates to the manufacture of agglomerated fuel in allsuitable forms whether in bricks or blocks, eggs perforated or plain,and in like forms, produced by the compression of dust or particles offuels such as bituminous or anthracite coal, lig nil'e, peat or thelike, with the use of a binding material consisting of coal tar, bitumenor petroleum tar, or like substances.

In the known methods of manufacture, the binding material is added inthe proper proportion to the powdered fuel, and the mixture is placed ina mixing machine which is heated by steam or by like means whereby thebinding substancetar bitumen or the like-4s melted. The paste formed bythe machine is then brought to the agglomerating machine.

In the usual processes, the binding material represents 810 per cent, inorder to obtain a cohesion varying from 60 to 80 per cent.

In the present invention I provide certain improvements whereby theusual manufacturing processes for agglomerated fuel will be made moreeconomical, inasmuch as I can employ a given quality of fuel and bindingmaterial to attain the same degree of cohesionof the agglomeratedmaterial, with the use of a less amount of binding substance, or only 5,5-6 per cent, whereby the agglomerated products will be much reduced incost, in view of the great expense for the binding material at presentemployed, and chiefly such substances as coal or oil tar.

According to my invention, I add bicarbonate of soda to the bindingmaterial in the proper proportions, either in the form of crystals or asan aqueous solution, and due to the resulting disengagement of carbonicacid in the presence of the tar or bitumen melted in the said mixingmachine, there is obtained an improved distribution in the mass of thepowdered fuel to be agglomerated, whereby the same degree of cohesionwith a less amount of binding substance is afforded.

I dispose the bicarbonate of soda in the binding substance beforeplacing the tar and the'powdered fuel in the mixing machine, and Iprefer to thus dispose it before the tar is combined with the fuel, andfor instance it is placed in the endless screw feedand in France April30, 1925.

.ing conveyor for the tar, the proper quantity being poured by hand orby automatic means and in a continuous or intermittent manner into thesaid tar feeding device, according as the tar is supplied by theconveyer to the trough or belt which leads the fuel into the mixingmachine.

By way of a comparative indication as concerns the known processes forthe agglomeration of powdered fuel, such processes employ about 910 kgs.of powdered fuel and 90 kgs. of binding material to obtain 1000 lzgs. ofagglon'ierated products having 6080 per cent cohesion.

Due to my said improvements, I am enabled to employ only 945 kgs. ofpowdered fuel and kgs. of binding material to obtain the same quantityof agglomerated products having substantially the same degree ofcohesion, which represents an economy of about 85 ligs. of bindingmaterial per ton of agglomerated products, with a very small expense forthe bicarbonate of soda, which is used to the extent of only 1 per tonof products.

Obviously, without departing from the principle of the invention, I maysubstitute for the bicarbonate of soda any other suitable substancecapable of causing a great disengagement of carbonic acid gas or likegas, in the aforesaid conditions.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A fuel substance comprising, in combination, a pulverulentcarbonaceous material, a viscous binder, and a sodium salt of carbonicacid.

2. A fuel substance comprising, in combination, coal dust, tar, andsodium bicarbonate.

8. The method of briquetting fuel which consists in pulverizing thefuel, mixing with a tar and sodium bicarbonate at an elevatedtemperature.

4-. lhe method of briquetting fuel which consists in heating a coal tar,causing to combine therewith sodium bicarbonate for the liberation of.carbondioxide, causing the carbondioxide to permeate the tar and convert it into a tar foam, pulverizing a fuel material, mixing thepulverized fuel with the foamed tar and forming the mixture intobriquettes.

5. The fuel substance comprising, in combriquettes containing powderedfuel, binder, and sodium bicarbonate, in the proportion of 944 parts offuel, 55 parts of binder, and 10 one part of sodium bicarbonate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LUCIEN LIAIS.

